Americans Agree on Paid Leave, But Not on Who Should Pay

Claire Cain Miller: “Most people say workers should get paid leave to take care of a baby, a sick family member or themselves, according to two new surveys. But they disagree on the details: who should pay, and whether it should be mandatory or optional.”

“Large majorities support paid leave — between 67 percent and 85 percent, depending on the type of leave — according to the Pew report, which included two nationally representative online surveys of 8,000 Americans total. One survey was about people’s general opinions about family leave, and the other about their personal experiences with it.”

“But Americans are torn about the government’s role. Only half of people over all and one-third of Republicans think it should mandate leave, versus continuing to let employers decide. Sixty-nine percent of Democrats supported a government mandate.”